Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Dough Bites

If you’re like me, you love to fill your Christmas table with satisfying, indulgent and savory meals. But it’s always wise to serve some healthy foods too. After all, you don’t want to put your body into a complete holiday junk-food coma! So today I’m sharing a wholesome plant-based treat that’s perfect for Christmas – vegan gingerbread cookie dough bites. They’re crunchy, spicy and has all those Christmas flavors!

These gingerbread cookie dough bites not only make a tasty and healthy snack but they can also be your homemade present for friends and family. Making your own delicious Christmas presents is a wonderful way how to stay away from the whole holiday money-spending and shopping mall frenzy.

But now, a couple of words about these vegan gingerbread cookie dough bites. The base for these bites is made from oats. I know – sounds kind of boring. That’s why I added the toasting step – after you toast the oats in some coconut oil, they become very fragrant and crispy. This simple step is a huge game-changer!

I’ve also spiced up these bites with lots different Christmas spices – cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and molasses. But if you’re not a big fan of any of these spices, feel free to alternate or skip them. Just remember to taste test the dough before you start the rolling process!

And in case you’re wondering what is molasses, it’s a thick syrup that remains after maximum extraction of sugar from a raw sugar cane. It has a strong bittersweet flavor that really adds to these gingerbread cookie dough bites. Molasses is very nutritious – it’s high in iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium and many more minerals and vitamins.

Let’s get to the recipe!

Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Dough Bites

Makes about 20 bite-size balls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup oats

8 (100g) juicy dates, pitted (soak them into a hot water for 20 min if too dry)

2 tbsp. molasses (I used Rapunzel brand)

1 tbsp. coconut oil

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt (I used Himalayan)

1 tbsp. of coconut sugar (for the topping – optional)

Directions:

Heat a pan over medium heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the oats. Toast them in the pan for a couple of minutes until lightly golden brown and fragrant. Be careful as they can burn easily! When the oats are done, remove them from the pan and cool completely.

Put the toasted oats into a food processor and add the spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Pulse until the oats are broken down into flour (a few bigger pieces are ok – it doesn’t have to be perfect).

Add molasses and dates, mix until well combined. The mixture should be sticky and hold together well when pressed between fingers. If yours is still too dry, add some more dates.

Take a heaping teaspoon of the dough and press or roll it into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been rolled! If you want to, roll the balls into the coconut sugar – it adds some extra sweetness and texture.